Franklin, Oh (AP) - A wise man once said, "All good things come to an end." This has been seen over and over throughout the national sports landscape, especially this year. Last month, we saw Team Shooters historic 21 game winning streak come to an end at Kettering Rec Center, and just last week, Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak came to an end in a game against the Giants. So, trailing most of the game, one couldn't help but think that maybe it was time for the Dayton-Cincinnati Megalopoli to drop their first game in years, playing a hard working and smart Undeniable team. But, by now, we should know better than to doubt DCM. Digging deep, the Megalopoli overcame deficits throughout the game to pull out an 8-5 victory that was much closer than the final score indicated.
Scoring just 45 seconds into the game on one of his patented slalomed runs through the defense, Justin Davisson put the defending league champs ahead 1-0. "After that quick goal, I think we thought it was going to be a walk in the park," said goalkeeper John Pallant. "Usually when we put it in that early, we continue to pound away all night long." But the frisky players for Undeniable answered back with two straight goals to lead 2-1. The score stayed this way until the 22 minute mark when Davisson broke through again to knot the score at two. Undeniable scored their third just 3 minutes later to take a 3-2 lead, the latest the Megalopoli had trailed all season.
"I'm not going to lie, when I looked up at the scoreboard and saw us losing with 18 minutes left, doubt started to creep into my mind. It wasn't just that they were leading, but we weren't attacking the way we normally do," said Chris Bills, team leader in fouls. He was right, the vaunted DCM attack was off all night. Undeniable was content to keep two defenders back at all times having the lead, and with league scoring leader Ben Sicnolf having battled the Bowel Gods all day, there was some doubt that DCM may not be able to score enough to win the game. That's when newly wedded Phil Johnson began to take charge. Subbing in the game, trailing 3-2, Phil worked a magical give and go, receiving the ball in the middle of the final third. Taking one extra touch, he blasted the ball past the oncoming goalie just as he was getting tripped from behind. The goal ignited the crowd, and seemed to light a fire under DCM. "I try to do the dirty work for this team. I know the best thing I can do is to play as hard as I can. Good things happen when you play with maximum effort," said Johnson after the game, grinning from ear to cock.
With the score tied 3-3, Eddie Marrinan broke down the left side of the field. Firing the ball off the wall just beside the goal, Marrinan followed his own rebound, and after a scrum that left Undeniable calling for a handball, Marrinan calmly knocked the ball into the net. "It's not a handball if they don't call it," said Marrinan, when asked if he used his arm to settle the ball. Sensing that the game was hanging in the balance, Dan Kimble became a much more active player as well. Normally content to stay in the defensive end, Kimble continued to charge forward, which allowed the game to become much more wide open. With the score at 4-3 with 10 minutes remaining, John Pallant made one of the biggest stops of the game. Saving the ball, he popped up to quickly outlet a pass to Davisson who was streaking down the right side, making for a 2-1 with Sicnolf to his left. Davisson waited until the last second before playing a square ball across the goal that Sicnolf calmly placed in, giving DCM the 5-3 advantage. However, Undeniable showed their mettle, netting two goals in a matter of minutes, knotting the score at 5-5, with just a few minutes remaining.
"That's when we really show what we're made of. A tie game, just a few minutes remaining, it usually comes down to who wants it more," said Ervin Perviz, a candidate for rookie of the year. Fellow rookie Chris Bills was the first one to step up, as he and Sicnolf connected on another 2-on-1 that saw Sicnolf nutmeg the goalkeeper for his second of the game, giving DCM the lead 6-5 with five minutes left in the match. Sicnolf followed that with his third tally of the night, following up on another play set up by Phil Johnson's hustle and hard work. Finally, Sicnolf capped off the scoring, netting his fourth of the game with a little over two minutes remaining to remove all doubt, giving DCM the 8-5 win. Sicnolf struggled all night with his endurance and his focus, but in the end, he came through with 4 goals when they were needed most.
"Undeniable was a good team, there is no denying that," said Mark McDonald, following the game. "They denied many of our scoring attempts throughout the game, but in the end it was undeniable that we were the better team."
Goals:
Sicnolf - 4
Davisson - 2
Marrinan - 1
Johnson - 1
Jared Jewelers Game Ball - Phil Johnson
It wasn't just Phil's highlight reel goal that finds him earning the game ball on this night (though, that goal will be making its way to a SportsCenter highlight near you). It was more the attitude and effort that Johnson brought to the game. Seeing his team faltering right before his eyes, Johnson made it his duty to carry his team and motivate them to the win. Playing with reckless abandon and spirited effort, Johnson lead the comeback charge against Undeniable and was instrumental in DCM's win.
This moves the team to 4-0, good for first place in the league. On the season, DCM has now outscored their opponents 30-15.
Season Goal Totals
Sicnolf - 13
Davisson - 10
Perviz - 2
Kyle - 1
Marrinan - 1
Bills - 1
McDonald - 1
Johnson - 1
DCM returns to action next Thursday, December 23, at 9:00 p.m., when they take on Chrom Parts.
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